Riviere de Galets Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at the coming swell window for the reef and point setup at Riviere de Galets. The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag with a slow start, a few promising windows, and then a proper pulse of energy that’s going to be for the brave only.

Water temp is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so you’ll feel that when you’re sitting out the back.

The surf story starts off pretty quiet. Friday the 17th has a small 4ft swell from the south with a long 16-second period, but the cross-off wind from the WNW at 9 mph is making it feel marginal. The wave energy is up there (1113), but honestly, it’s not worth rushing out for.

Things don’t improve much over Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th. Swell drops to 4ft or less, wind is onshore or cross-on, and the energy is moderate. Not the time to be calling in sick.

Monday the 20th, the swell bumps up to 6ft from the SW, period at 15 seconds, and energy jumps to 1727. But the wind is a light cross-shore from the east at 3 mph, so it’s still a bit messy. The best bit of the early window is Tuesday morning the 21st. Glassy conditions, east wind at 3 mph, 6ft of SSW swell at 12 seconds, and energy at 1088. That’s the standout for the first week – clean, fun, and manageable for intermediates. Crowds are possible out there, so get in early.

From Wednesday the 22nd through to Sunday the 26th, it’s a write-off. Strong cross-on winds, mostly from the SE, chop things up badly. The swell is all over the shop, but the wind is just too strong – 15 to 18 mph. Not worth paddling out; it’s more of a kite session if you’re into that.

Now, the real story kicks off on Monday the 27th. The swell is 8ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, and the energy is huge at 4913. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, so the face is clean. That morning is still borderline for most, but by Monday afternoon the swell hits 10ft, energy at 4541, and the wind is cross-off again. The system is saying it’s too big for this break, and honestly, that’s a solid 10ft with a long period – that’s big, powerful, and only for the very experienced.

Tuesday the 28th is the best of the big stuff. Morning has 7ft from the SSW, 14-second period, and a light ENE cross-off at 6 mph. Clean, powerful, and energy at 2730. That’s a solid expert session. Afternoon stays similar, 7ft, energy 3243, still clean.

Wednesday the 29th is where it gets nuts. 12ft from the SSW, 18-second period, glassy calm. Energy is 8592 in the morning and 8712 in the afternoon. That’s a massive, long-period groundswell. It’s going to be a monster at this reef and point, but again, it’s predicted to be too big for the break. Only the absolute best will be out there, and it’ll be a serious session.

The rest of the run from Thursday the 30th through to Saturday the 1st of August is just angry. Winds pick up hard from the ESE, 15 to 22 mph, cross-on, and the swell stays huge – 10ft to 15ft. The energy is still massive, but it’s blown out and lumpy. Not a paddle, not a kite, just a skip.

Best bet: grab Tuesday morning the 21st for the cleanest, most fun surf of the first week. For the big stuff, Tuesday the 28th is your window for a proper, clean, powerful session for the experienced crew.

Rusty.

Read more